Mr How, described as a "star" teacher, and two friends were skiing in conditions that were described as good.

Two doctors and four members of the Val D’Isere rescue service raced to the accident but despite frantic efforts to resuscitate him over the next hour, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was later airlifted away by helicopter. An investigation has been launched but authorities blamed a “technical fault rather than an avalanche”.

A rescue spokesman said: “The group was skiing a very well-known, classical off-piste route where you need to have a good technical level of skiing.

“The man went to make a turn but he had a problem and fell down a series of cliffs. He fell down the first cliff about 20 metres and he kept falling. In total he fell 200 metres.

“The accident is being investigated but we think it was a technical fault rather than an avalanche."

He added: “Personnel from the ski station saw what happened and called the rescuers. But he was already dead when the doctor reached him.”

The French ski resort of Val D’Isere (Picture: ALAMY)

Mr How graduated from Cambridge University with a double-first in science, where he also earned a cricket blue and was captain of the university's first XI football team, while also earning university colours for that sport.

He joined the school a decade ago after resigning from Deutsche Bank where he worked as a vice-president.

On Thursday, the Rev John Witheridge, the school headmaster, described the teacher as a "real star".

He added: "I will remember him as a hugely energetic man who was always striving and that rubbed off on his pupils.

"Before joining us he enjoyed a successful banking career and was an expert sportsman - that gives you some idea of the measure of the man."

A spokesman for the boarding school added that Mr How was a “very popular and an outstanding and highly respected teacher and sportsman”.

She added: “This is a great shock to the School and our thoughts and prayers are with Ed’s family.”

Ed How taught Chemistry at Charterhouse School and was a keen cricketer and footballer (Picture: ALAMY)

At an international football competition last year he was said to have dressed up in a Victorian outfit as part of events to mark the school's 400th anniversary.

Past and present pupils also paid tribute to the "great man", with many taking to Twitter to post their shock.